1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi-section pendant supported telescopic booms and more particularly relates to a pendant system having a fixed pendant portion for establishing a predetermined mastboom working angle, and a single pendant portion for maintaining the boom angle substantially constant during extension and retraction of the boom by paying out and hauling in live pendant, respectively.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Multi-section, pendant supported telescopic booms for cranes or the like are well known in the art. It is also well known that such booms may be supported by pendant ropes that are located entirely externally of the boom, or may be of the types that have external pendant portions as well as internal pendant portions that are reeved around sheaves within the boom. Booms of the type having only external pendant ropes that are attached to, or near, the tip end of the boom and are trained over the upper end of a mast pivoted to the boom tend to raise the boom and decrease the angle between the mast and the boom in response to extension of the boom; and tend to lower the boom tip and to increase the angle in response to retraction of the multi-section boom.
The types of booms which are supported by pendants having both internal and external pendant portions such as the boom disposed in the aforementioned Cozad application, operate in a reverse manner, i.e., the tip drops when extended and raises when retracted.
It is also well known in the art to extend and retract several sections of a multi-section boom with one or two hydraulic rams. U.S. Pat. No. 4,156,331, which issued to Lester et al on May 29, 1979 illustrates such a boom which uses two rams; and U.S. S. Pat. No. 4,133,411 which issued to Curb on Jan. 9, 1979 illustrates a boom operated by a single ram.